The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley
by The Random Artist
Summary: Mysteries are everywhere...The secrecy, a queen, and forgotten vallies oh my! And Wolfram turns into a girl...? It's all weird in Shin Makoku, and only Shinou seems to know what's going on--as usual. //EDITED\\
1. Announcement

**Summary:**

A long-forgotten valley. A mysterious chest. The return of a queen. The Shinou's mysterious past… What will happen to all our favorite KKM hunks? Warning: Yuri and Wolfram don't have a guy-guy relationship here, but they still have a guy… Never mind! Read to find out! Rated K.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the original storyline, setting, or characters. Really.

**A/N: This is my first fan fiction EVER, so please have mercy on me! :)**

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***The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley***

By CARohanne

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Wolfram's POV

_I felt like there was a gaping hole in my chest where my heart should have been. His words hurt me so much to the point that I wished to die. I tried my best to show him that what we had was real, but I guess I was only fooling myself._

_Yuri Shibuya never really loved me. His name brings pain in my heart, now. A best friend is perhaps the highest place I will ever hold in that Wimp's heart. He doesn't know how much I wish that he loved me enough. He doesn't know how my heart aches every time he takes our engage- ment for granted. He doesn't know how much I loved him._

_When I saw him go nuts over that foreign noble woman, it made me realize that though he may have already accepted most of Shin Makoku's traditions and customs, he was still from Earth. He does not believe in the marriage of the same gender. And it was true that I was only kidding myself when I thought I could change this belief._

_So now I let him go, to do whatever the heck he wants with his life. Tomorrow I'll call of our engagement so he can be free. That is all I can do for him now…_

The young noble lay down his wary blond head on the pillow. He knew that tomorrow would be hell for him. Seeing _His Majesty_ would bring back the pain in his chest. He also knew that Greta would be saddened beyond belief. Yes, his adopted daughter Greta would be the only thing he'll miss in his and Yuri's three year engagement.

So Wolfram tried to sleep that night. But after five straight hours of staring at the dull gray ceiling, it was obvious he couldn't.

* * *

_**The next day**_

When Wolfram entered the dining room the next morning, all eyes turned to him. His face was very pale, and he had dark circle underneath his suddenly dull eyes. Yuri nearly choked on what he was eating.

Wolfram didn't say a word as he sat down quietly on his chair and began eating in small quantities. _Is this because of me?_ Yuri suddenly felt guilty.

"Hey Wolf, about yesterday..." But Yuri never got to finish his apology since a messenger suddenly arrived. His eyes were shocked and opened wide, his lips shivering.

"Your Highness." he addressed Gwendal and he shakily gave the letter as the cold-eyed man looked him over. "Urgent news from the border, sir." said the soldier and bowed. Then he quickly left.

Gwendal looked around the table carefully, and even Wolfram's attention was caught. Then he carefully opened the scroll as every eye in the room seemed to be glued to his every move. Then his hands suddenly trembled. His lips silently mouthed some words from the message, as if trying to make sure that was really written.

Gunter, the aristocrat's best friend, finally summoned courage. "What is the matter, Gwendel?" he asked timidly.

The soldier stood up and announced "Lord Volterrana and his men have found a valley hidden near the border that was hidden by very powerful and unknown magic. It is urgent we come there right away."

**A/N: **

Please don't hesitate to review me! But please don't be too harsh! I'll try to submit the next chapter by Dec. 27. Review please! :)


	2. The Chest and What Happened Next

Summary:

A long-forgotten valley. A mysterious chest. The return of a queen. The Shinou's mysterious past… What will happen to all our favorite KKM hunks? Warning: Yuri and Wolfram don't have a guy-guy relationship here, but they still have a guy… Read to find out! Rated K+.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo Kara Maoh, or else Gwendal and Annissina would be together by now. :)

THANKS TO: KythAnDra and NatsumiMichiko for the reviews!

*****The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley*****

By CARohanne

Chapter 2: The Chest and What Happened To Wolfram

_The soldier stood up and announced "Lord Volterrana and his men have found a valley hidden near the border that was hidden by very powerful and unknown magic. It is urgent we come there right away."_

Everyone on the table stared at Gwendel. _Hidden Valley?! Hidden by powerful magic?!_ ran through their minds.

Gwendel cleared his throat to ease the shocked silence in the room. Yuri asked Greta to play with the maids for a while first. The princess quickly went out, happy to get out of the tense atmosphere that suddenly enveloped the dining room. They looked at Gwendel and swore he had three new wrinkles.

Yuri, finally tired of the silence, asked in his usual clueless way "So, what do we do now?" Four pairs of eyes stared at him. Gwendel spoke up and said simply "We have no choice but to go."

Yuri sighed tiredly. It was official. The young Maoh was having the worst time of his eighteen-year-old life. First there was his back that ached like four bull dozers went over it ten times, next was that Wolfram wouldn't even say a single mean word to him, and whenever he asked for something, Wolfram would answer in the most overly-polite way. _'What is the matter with him?" _Yuri asked himself in frustration.

Bored, he looked around at the beautiful green scenery of the von Biefield's land. _'Mysterious powerful magic? Could this be the return of the Soushu? Or something even worse than the Soushu?' _his mind went on and on.

After a while, the sky began to darken. They set up camp in a clearing beside a forest. (**A/N: Sorry so much if I'm not descriptive enough!**)

While the others were eating, Wolfram sneaked out -done with his meal. He just wanted to take a walk in the forest after being so close to Yuri. He felt his heart ache again, but when he reached the forest, he only felt peace and calm.

As the young prince walked deeper into the moonlit forest, he felt as if there was some magic in it that made him notice things he never had before. Like how the trees seemed to sway, the moonlight shining on the branches, making the place almost fairytale-like. He sighed when he noticed it was time to return befor the others noticed he had gone. Somehow, though, his heart felt lighter. Sure, Yuri still didn't love him, and there was still the mystery of the hidden valley. But he just felt peaceful all of a sudden.

But as Wolfram was nearing the last trees of the forest, something caught his eye.

Inside the bark of an old tree was a small ancient-looking chest with the words "The Queen will return." on it.

**A/N:** Finally done with it! Sorry that it already got posted though I wasn't finished with it, yet! Oh, and sorry that its so short. I promise the next chapter will be longer!

Oh, and thanks so much for those who reviewed! It means a lot to me, that's why I was able to update so fast. :)


	3. The Angel in a Frilly Pink Nightgown

**Summary: **A long-forgotten valley. A mysterious chest. The return of a queen. The Shinou's mysterious past… What will happen to all our favorite KKM hunks? Warning: Yuri and Wolfram don't have a guy-guy relationship here, but they still have a guy… Read to find out! Rated K+.

Disclaimer: Since Kyo Kara Maoh DOES NOT belong to me (though I sure wish it did), it is then my job to tell you people it doesn't. Hey, do you think Tomo Takabayashi would give Kyo Kara Maoh to me for a cookie? (Voice of Reason in my Head-who knew I actually had one?) No. 

Sorry for my drabbles! Thank you so much for those who reviewed for the last chapter! I promise this one will be a lot more exciting.

****The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley**  
**By CARohanne

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Chapter 3: The Angel in a Frilly Pink Nightgown

_But as Wolfram was nearing the last trees of the forest, something caught his eye. Inside the bark of an old tree was a small ancient-looking chest with the words "The Queen will return." on it._

As if by some mystic power, the blonde's gaze was fixed on the wooden chest. His hands shook as he held the box in his hands, examining it closely. And then it hit him. The words weren't written in Mazoku language, so how could he understand it?!

While trying to figure out how in Shinou he could read a foreign language, the wooden chest suddenly glowed brightly. He noticed that fixed in the middle of the ancient wood was a huge emerald –the source of the glow.

"_The Queen has returned after five thousand years." _a musical voice in his head told him. Then a sudden shock went from the chest to his whole body. No, it was the flames of the sun, devouring everything inside him. He yelped from the pain. "What…queen?" he managed to gasp before he quickly succumbed to the sudden pain.

A soldier who just happened to look up at the same time Wolfram fell unconscious alerted the others on the nobleman's fainting. Yuri turned his head around to see three soldiers dragging the blond Mazoku back to camp.

"Wolfram!" he cried as Conrart helped the soldiers put the blonde on a cot. "What happened to him?" asked the older brother calmly; though worry for his little brother was clear in his hazel eyes.

"I do not know, Your Excellency." replied the soldier who alerted the others about the prince's fainting. "I just saw him faint, holding this." he said, holding out the ancient chest to Conrart. "I found it near him." said the soldier in response to Conrart's questioning gaze.

Yuri looked at Wolfram's unconscious face. "Wolfram..." he whispered.

"Ask the healer to come here as soon as possible and examine him." Gwendel said, coming out of his tent. His dark blue eyes were filled with concern, like his younger brother's.

Conrart gave Gwendel the mysterious chest. "What do you think this means?" the usually cold man asked no one in particular, stroking the strange inscriptions on the wood. "It isn't written in any language I have ever heard of."

His eyes went to his youngest brother's pale face. Though there were still dark circles beneath his closed eyelids, the younger man's face looked strangely at peace, as if he had had his first rest after a long and tiresome journey.

"Wolfram, what happened to you?"

* * *

Somewhere, a handsome blond man stood on the stone steps of a temple. His sapphire blue eyes looked sad at the memories that filled his head. Precious memories that he had always kept buried deep inside his heart for safety. The memories of a beautiful young girl, emerald eyes shining brightly with the joy of living, golden ringlets dancing in the wind. Her voice –every word from her lips more like a song than mere words- calling his name lovingly.

With her brilliant smile that she has reserved only for those dear to her, the girl had always kept a special place in Shinou's heart.

* * *

The double black paused outside the tent. In his hands he held a tray of food–breakfast for the still-unconscious fire wielder. _'Wolfram's been unconscious for four days, now.' _Yuri thought sadly. _'The healer said it was just the result of three sleepless nights, and all he needed was a little rest, but I'm still worried…"_

He sighed then went inside the tent. After he placed the breakfast tray on a table he called "Wolfram" softly.

'_I guess he isn't awake yet…' _But Yuri's train of thought stopped as his onyx eyes widened at the sight.

There, sleeping peacefully on the make-shift bed, was easily the most beautiful creature his eyes had ever laid sight on.

Her angelic face was framed by golden ringlets, surrounding her head like a halo. Her face could beat a porcelain doll's any day, with its creamy color and delicateness. With cheeks a little flushed, it made her look like a sleeping rose, also the color of her full lips.

And her eyes, even though they were closed, the eyelids were the color of breaking dawn –a faint purple- and complimented the rest of her sleeping features nicely. Not only that, but the frilly pink nightgown she wore clung to her skin, as her chest rose and fell in her peaceful breathing.

Meanwhile, her unknown admirer still stood there, his mouth hanging open at the beauty of the girl before him. He was awestruck that such a creature could exist that did not belong to a painting of an angel or goddess of love or beauty.

Then, as if sensing his presence, the angel's delicate eyelids fluttered open, and he found a pair of wide emerald eyes staring into his onyx ones.

Cocking her head to one side, she spoke in a voice that slightly resembled a choir of angels "Yuri?"

**A/N: **

**Okay, give it to me straight. Like it, love it, hate it to death? Tell me if I overdid it. I managed to finish it just 4-6 hours after I submitted the last one. Did it on Christmas eve! Merry Christmas, folks! Please review so Chapter 4 will come sooner... ^_^**


	4. Demonic Rants and Angelic Beauty Mix

Summary: A long-forgotten valley. A mysterious chest. The return of a queen. The Shinou's mysterious past… What will happen to all our favorite KKM hunks? Warning: Yuri and Wolfram don't have a guy-guy relationship here, but they still have a guy… Read to find out! Rated K+.

Disclaimer: Don't own Kyo Kara Maoh. If I did, Yuri would be _way_ cuter (is that even possible?)   
-^_^

Sorry I'm so late! Don't worry, I already banged my head on the wall and Voice-of-Reason-in My-Head-san threw a brick on my head, twice already! And thanks a lot to those people who reviewed me! :) It really means a lot since this is my first fan fiction, and since I'm so slow at updating. A million heart-shaped chocolates for you all! :)

_Now on with the story!_

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****The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley**  
**by CARohanne

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Chapter 4: Demonic Rants and Angelic Beauty DOES Mix

_Then, as if sensing his presence, the angel's delicate eyelids fluttered open, and he found a pair of wide emerald eyes staring into his onyx ones. _

_Cocking her head to one side, she spoke in a voice that slightly resembled a choir of angels, only more beautiful. "Yuri?" _

The young king blinked thrice before he finally figured out the angel was talking to him. _My name just sounds so different when it was said in _her_ voice… Wait! What am I thinking?! And how does that angel know my name? Well, duh Yuri, you're the Maoh…_

While Yuri was busy putting his thoughts back in order and arguing with himself, the said girl looked around the tent in wonder. It felt like she was seeing the world with different clearer eyes. _"It's been a while."_ said a voice in her head. Wait. What voice in her head?

She then laid her eyes on a small mirror on a bedside table. And what she saw there made her freeze. Then she screamed like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

Everyone in the camp looked up from whatever they were doing when they heard the blood-curling scream.

"Heika! Wolfram!" Conrart cried when he realized it came from Wolfram's tent. He pulled aside the tent's flap*, behind him some ten soldiers, expecting the worse. What he did _not_ expect to see, however, was a shocked Yuri frozen in his place, eyes stuck to a screaming angel in a frilly pink dress.

Let's just say that _none_ of them expected to see what they had seen.

_**Someone's POV **_

_I could NOT believe what I saw in the mirror. I expected to see myself looking like a cat spit me out, and a hundred horses ran me over, but instead I saw a girl. And not just _any_ girl, but the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, her bright emerald eyes looking a bit sleepy. It took me twelve whole seconds to realize that the beautiful creature in the mirror was…ME?! _

_How did this happen?! _

_Then one second it was peaceful oblivion, next I was screaming like hell. Then Conrart came running in, and I just remembered Yuri was in front in me, frozen in his place –his mouth hanging open. Then Conrart's and the soldiers' eyes bulged when they saw me. I mean who wouldn't? I somehow turned into a girl!!!_

"_WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!!" I screamed. They just kept on staring. Why weren't they doing anything! Were they really _that _pinheaded?_

_I leapt out of my bed and lit a fireball in my hand. "Someone. Answer. Me." Now I was angry. Why won't these idiots answer me? Why were they frozen just like that, gawking at me, their mouths hanging open like morons? CAN'T THEY SEE I NEED HELP?! _(**A/N: Both mentally **_**and **_**physically of course **)

_Finally Conrart managed to snap out first. "Wolfram?" he asked, unsure. "Of course I'm Wolfram! Who else would I be? Now someone tell me what in Shinou's name happened to me!" I knew they really couldn't answer my question, but I just had to blame this on someone. And burn. Yep, definitely burn all these mute retards to a crisp._

_(_**A/N: Sorry, s/he's **_**really **_**angry and confused here. So angry and confused that she activated her Maryoku**)

_**Yuri's POV**_

_WHAT?! The angel was Wolfram! Wah-but-I mean- _

"_!!!"_

_Now that was shocking. I mean, how did Wolfram become a girl? Just last night he was pure male. But there was no mistaking that fiery temper (_**A/N: Hehe. Got it?**) _And those gorgeous emerald eyes… Ugh! What am I thinking!! And I thought she/he was so cute, too. _

_**Normal POV**_

The blonde stood there; ready to burn the whole place down, when Gwendel entered. "What in Shin Makoku is…" but he was never able to finish his sentence when he saw she-Wolfram. "Who are _you_?" he asked in a not-so-friendly voice. I mean come on, a blood-freezing scream made him drop his needles while he was knitting a cute bunny (or what was _supposed_ to be a bunny)

Wolfram crossed her* arms over her chest, extinguishing the fire ball –much to the relief of the others. She then pouted in such an adorable way that some of the soldiers couldn't help but cry "Wah! So cute!"

"_I_ am Wolfram von Biefield." she said icily, glaring at the soldiers' exclamations. "And I would like to know what happened to me."

(**A/N: Wolfram will be called a _she _from now on to be gramatically correct**)

* * *

Gwendel sighed for the hundredth time that morning. He sat back on his chair trying to find a more comfortable spot on his hard wooden chair. He spent half the morning with a much annoyed she-Wolfram, a worried Conrart, and an extremely confused Yuri, trying to figure out what happened to his now cuter-than-ever baby brother/sister.

"So let me get this straight. You felt a burning pain then you fainted. Then you woke up and found you were a girl?" Gwendel said coolly, as if that was the most normal thing that could ever happen. He then looked at the ancient chest on the table between them; the emerald was its main decoration. "And you say that it is all because of this old box?" he said tapping it.

Wolfram just nodded. She still wore her night gown since that was all that could fit her, though now a dark cloak covered most of her body. "Oh, and what about the inscriptions? Do you know what _'The Queen will return.' _means? It might be a clue or something."All eyes stared at her.

"You can understand it?" Gwendel asked in disbelief. "Well, yeah! I know it's written in some sort of language that I must have forgotten about. I mean, can't _you_ read it, Brother?" she explained, now more confused than before. Gwendel sighed and said "No."

Conrart looked even more worried. "So what does this mean? Is it a being that has possessed Wolfram?" The older man just shook his head. He'll have to knit ten life-sized bearbees _at least _later to get out all of his stress.

"Let's just hope this is all just another prank Shinou's playing, agreed?" And three heads nodded vigorously in agreement.

* * *

**_Meanwhile..._**

"Aaaaaahhhchooooooooo!"

The sound bounced off the great stone walls of the temple, and a blond figure sat on a (used to be) forbidden box, his nose sniffling. "I didn't know dead people could catch colds." said a mocking voice behind him.

Shinou turned to fix his saphire eyes on the Great Sage's face, a smirk on his lips. "They don't." he answered simply. "But they sneeze when people talk about them behind their backs." A smile tugged at the ends of his lips. "What? No comeback? I just teased _the_ Shinou and he didn't answer with a brilliant comeback?" Murata jokingly said, but a hint of worry showed on the double black's face. "What's up with you? You've been weirder than usual lately. Has the dust finally gone in your head? You seem so _happy _for some reason."

"Oh nothing." the first king answered, a blissful look in his eyes. "Just remebering something from my youth. _You_ of all people should understand that." The other young man just nodded his head. "Nice comeback." he simply answered.

* * *

"What am I going to wear?!" Wolfram shrieked while her eldest brother's eye twitched at the common female concern.

"Gee, Wolf. You're _really_ a girl now." Yuri muttered carelessly. The blonde turned to him, her emerald eyes saying '_You're dead meat, Wimp!_' The said wimp gulped, getting the message. '_But a c_ute _girl_.' he thought none the less, his face turning almost as pink as Wolfram's nightgown as he remebered how adorable she looks. "_Now_ what are you staring at you..." the girl seemed to be at a loss for a word to describe what she thought of him. '_Oh_ now_ he stares at me when I'm a pretty girl.'_ she thought wryly. '_Figures.'_

They were preparing to leave for the valley when Wolfram noticed that she didn't have anything to wear on horseback. Thus resulting into a tantrum so magnificent that the soldiers could only hope not to get burned by the short-tempered girl.

Yuri thought his life was flashing before his eyes since he made the most foolish mistake; making Wolfram angry. Between the girl's ranting, however, a voice suddenly intruded. "I think I can help you with that." Yozak said, appearing from behind a huge tree with amusement in his sky-blue eyes.

Wolfram looked at him critically. "And how exactly can you help me, Yozak?" The red head smiled. "Well you see, Your Eminence, I just bought the most _adorable _dress_." _He paused as he saw Wolfram raise a delicate eyebrow, then continued his proposal. "But unfortunately, the seamstress made a very big mistake in the measurements, and the dress is ten sizes smaller than me." He eyed Wolfram's slender figure and nodded to himself." I was on my way to return it when I was called on this important mission. So;" he said handing over a medium-sized parcel to Wolfram. "I'm sure it would look so lovely on you, Your Highness!"

Wolfram knew how disguistingly adorable and frilly Yozak's dresses could be. But she had no choice, did she? She sighed. "I guess can't do anything else. Thank you, Yozak."

-----

"YOZAK, WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" another screech was heard from inside the tent. The others sweatdropped. '_I knew it.' _they thought and started thinking about their will. Yozak just smiled triumphantly. "It's the best dress from the spring collection, sir... I mean ma'am." he answered cheerfully, making the blond Mazoku even more angry. "There is no way in hell that I'm going out in this!" she yelled back.

"Wolfram;" Gwendel said, his patience wearing thin. "You're already holding us up. Now can you please just get out? There's no way it can be _that _bad." And he had never been so wrong before. With a "Hmph." Wolfram stepped out from the tent wearing an extremely frilly pale blue dress.

It had a dark blue sash with a big ribbon at the back, and the skirt reaced just below her knees, and it was a mass of lace frills. The first two buttons were open, revealing a dark blue choker with more white frills, and she had knee-legnth socks. She wore baby blue doll shoes with little white ribbons that just added to her adorable picture. Wolfram noticed them staring at her.

"What are you looking at? Aren't we supposed to be going already?" she hissed and stomped her way to her white horse, mumbling "idiots" the whole way. She missed, however, the cheers of "KAWAII!!!" that went on in the men's minds. _'Being a girl suits her;'_ Gwendel thought in dry humor. "And I thought she couldn't be any more fiery." he said out loud.

* * *

**A/N:** Phew! That was my longest chapter ever! And I am so sorry that it doesn't include Shinou's past, it would just take too long. I promise, by the fifth or sixth, really! Voice of Reason will remind me everyday. I'll also update in two weeks, but I'm just going to be very busy this weekend, with reviewing for NAT exams.

Thank you very much for those who reviewed last chapter! For that I will give you a dozen Swiss chocolate bars and brownies, too. Once again, I am very sorry for not updating in so long, and I promise I'll update faster.

As always,  
CARohanne

P.S. Don't forget to review! Reviews make me update sooner, ya know. And I don't mind constructive critisism at all, and you can even flame me for not updating in such a long time. For Yuuram fans, don't worry, there WILL be some romance in here. VERY VERY MANY FLUFFS AS I CAN POSSIBLY THINK OF. Just wait a few more chapters...


	5. The Reminiscense of a King Part 1

Summary: A long-forgotten valley. A mysterious chest. The return of a queen. The Shinou's mysterious past… What will happen to all our favorite KKM hunks? Warning: Yuri and Wolfram don't have a guy-guy relationship here, but they still have a guy… Read to find out! Rated K+.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh. (duh) But I DO own some Snicker chocolate bars and that's good enough for me! 

Thankyouthankyouthankyou so much for those who previously reviewed! I would like to dedicate this chapter to all of those who read (and reviewed) this story but this chapter is dedicated to someone who has been reviewing all my previous chapters; **KythAnDra.**I thank you for being such an awesome reader/reviewer. :')

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****The Queen, the Maoh, and the Forgotten Valley**  
**by CARohanne  
_Dedicated to KythAnDra_

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Chapter 6: The Reminiscence of a King  
Part 1

_A dark and ancient castle stood in the middle of the vast valley, looming proudly above all else except the tall trees that hid it from view. Even thousands of years could not erase the feeling of majesty and grace the old ruins had. Anyone could see that it was once a place of great importance and nobility._

_And it still was so in his eyes._

'_I'm back.' Shinou thought, almost elatedly. 'After all this time, I am finally back to where it all ended… and began.'_

_So he closed his eyes as nostalgia overtook him; all the memories he had locked tightly away because _she _had_ _told him to flooded back into his mind. _

---

_**Long ago…**_

"…And after the briefing about the financial status of the Halsvernn territory, you are required to attend a meeting about the agricultural progress in the Celorenian islands..." the dark-blue haired man babbled on about Shinou's schedule for the day.

The young blonde listened attentively, knowing full well that this was nothing compared to the amount of work he would be doing once he had succeeded the role of royal adviser that his father Lord Joredan Dontres currently held.

His Uncle Peter, the king of all of Avalor, and his wife -the lovely Queen Arabella Biefield- was in a meeting with the Milseans on Willor Mountain. Now Shinou's father, the king's younger but more responsible brother, was stuck with all the work.

And he knew he would feel guilty if he didn't help his own father out after he saw the literal mountains of paperwork almost as high as Willor Mountain itself.

"My Lord;" Zaron his assistant said, snapping him out of his space-out. "Her Majesty Queen Arabella requested that you visit your cousins, too. It has been quite a while now, and it would be near miraculous if they could even remember you."

Shinou nearly froze at the thought. _His little cousins._He remembered that seven years ago, when he had heard that the Queen had given birth to twins, he went into a complete rampage.

Twin children were cursed to be their mother's death, as the old legend went, and the young him couldn't help but be angry at those little babies who would cause his beloved Aunt Ara to die.

But now he felt ashamed that he hasn't even looked at Rufus and Catherine in four years, after all the times he spent in Cidel Castle. Avalorians should never have a chidish tantrum for so long, even if they _are _twelve years-old.

Because Shinou was always a very traditional man, and he couldn't help but hear the words echo in his head once he saw those two pairs of bright innocent emerald green eyes; _'The cause of their mother's death...'_

So he had been forced to come visit his baby cousins once a year until he turned fifteen, when he had the excuse of studies.

He knew, though, that this visit was unavoidable. He had to see his cousins some time, since one of them would be the future ruler of Avalor, and even then the other would be head of the Biefield territory since they were children born from a king and a nobleady of direct line of Biefield heads. Rufus and Catherine were truly a powerful pair.

Shinou sighed as he prepared to face the music (literally, happy tunes were heard from the children's playroom) and walked briskly down the hall. He tapped on the door twice before a dark-haired nurse opened the door, laughing a bit probably from something the twins had done.

But her eyes widened in shock as she gaped at the blond man before her. She knew about his hatred towards the royal children.

"L-Lord Shinou," she stuttered. "It's b-been so long..." But she soon recovered and remembered her duty. "Please come in, Sir. Rufus and Catherine would be delighted to see you." Shinou raised an eyebrow at this as he entered the colorful nursery.

The mere nurse had called the royal children by their first names without even adding anything else in respect. It was preposterous...

He did not have time to think anymore about the nurse's casualness toward the heirs to the throne, however, when a cute little angel with her golden hair tied in two braids skipped towards them. "Who is this man, Rina-san?" the little girl asked innocently, tugging at the older woman's white skirt.

Shinou was surprised at the maturity in the seven-year-old's voice and (most of all) at her angelic beauty.

His memory of them was blurry since he wanted to avoid remembering those innocent emerld eyes and the threat that they hid, but he had always heard the other nobles talking about the twins' beauty, expecially Catherine.

He had thought that they were just exaggerating, but now he knew they weren't.

"He is Lord Shinou Joredan Dontres II, Princess. He is your first cousin on your father's side." Rina gently explained to the little girl. "Oh." she remarked, not sounding the least bit surprised. "So _he's _the cousin who hates me and Ruffy."

Shinou stiffened at that. The girl had a sharp tongue.

But the young princess wasn't done yet.

She turned to him, her emerald eyes suddenly turning ice cold. "I'm afraid, dear cousin, that you have given me quite a bad impression already." she said coolly. "Prejudice is not something I would like to see in my subjects, most of all in someone I'm _related _to."

Shinou wanted to cringe and laugh at the same time. Her words were bold and heavy, yet that couldn't change her childish voice. But he was once again shocked at the maturity and strength in the young girl's voice, something he has only heard from her father when he was making speeches and giving out royal commands. It was the voice of a powerful ruler.

A little golden-haired boy who looked almost exactly like Catherine walked cautiously towards them, looking like a confused little animal. "Who's he, Cathy?" he asked from behind his twin. She turned to him and smiled a bit.

"He's the cousin we haven't seen for a long time, Ruffy. Now he finally grew up enough to see us."

Content with his sister's answer, Rufus went to play with a wooden sword. On the other hand, Shinou was extremely annoyed at his cousin's reply, a frown evident on his handsome face.

Catherine looked up at him, a tiny pout on her angelic face. "You aren't the type to smile much, are you?"she said thoughtfully. '_What the..._' was what a confused Shinou thought.

She looked at him more closely then shrugged, as if reaching a conclusion. "I'm going to make you laugh, I'll make sure of it." was all she said before joined her brother in a game of Hide-and-Seek with Pooky, their pet baby dragon.

Shinou sighed again. This was going to be a _long _play date.

* * *

**_Back to the Present..._**

_The troop had been riding the whole day before they finally stopped in front of an inn in the mountains. _

_They were tired from a day riding in the tense, fearing each second would be the end of their lives if they made a certain brooding blond girl who emitted a deadly aura angry. _

_Every time their eyes lingered to her slender figure, they could feel the deadliness in her deadly aura increasing and started fearing for their lives. Angering a powerful fire Mazoku, after all, was suicide._

_As they started unsaddling their horses, a friendly and familiar voice called out. "Hey!"_

_Yuri turned to see the previous Great Sage walking up to them, wearing some common clothes. "Murata?!" he cried in surprise, jogging towardshis best friend. "What are _you_ doing here?" _

_Murata faked a sad look on his face. "What? Can't I go with my best buddy on his adventures?"_

_Yuri sighed. He did not have time for up-to-no-good-double-blacks since he already had his hands full with a girl-turning fiance..._

_Wait. Did he just say fiance?_

_He mentally hit his forehead. '_Damnit Yuri, remember! Girl or guy, Wolfram von Biefield is no longer your fiance, so get over it!'

_He turned to Murata. "I meant what are you doing here BEFORE us..." But the other man was no longer paying attention since his eyes were stuck on the beautiful blond girl who was patting and feeding her horse an apple, wearing a dress that only added to her adorableness.._

_For some reason, Yuri couldn't seem to help the feeling to need to punch his friend in the face._

_"Yuri;" he said, his glasses glinting. "What are you doing with such a lovely lady?" Said lovely lady turned her head towards them, then tilted it sidewards in confusion. _

_"I'm hurt, how could you not tell me that you already found a new love interest so soon after your engagement to Wolfram has ended. And a gorgeous one, at that."_

_Before he knew it, Murata's sleeve had caught on fire and he cried for water. His wish was granted-in an uncanny way. Freezing cold water was poured on his head, and the blonde he was admiring just ten seconds ago was holding an empty bucket.  
_

_"Excuse me Your Eminence." she said icily. Even Gwendel couldn't help but shiver at her tone. _

_"But I am no longer engaged to that wimp of a king." She walked calmly towards the inn, the soldiers making way for her. _

_The Great Sage was left on the ground, dripping in ice cold water and gaping. "Wolfram?!"_

_She turned her head and said only two words. "Who else?"_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Finally! After weeks of not updating, I have finally done it! I'm so sorry for the long wait, but you have been warned beforehand about my late entries. I promise I'll make it up to you by dedicating the next chapter to the first person who** **reviews. **

**Oh, and I know Shinou is OOC. I meant it that way, because, come on! It happened more than four thousand years ago. He couldv'e been a totally different person then. Especially because... I'm not telling!**

**And I wanted Murata to be left speechless for once since he's always the one getting the last laugh.**

**Once again, I'm very grateful for all those who have previously reviewed, and I hope you will continue to read my story despite my procrastination.**

**A million hugs and Pooky plushies to those who review! Any questions, comments, complaints, and critisism will be happily accepted!**

**Yours truly,  
CARohanne :3**

**P.S. Press the green button. You know ya want to!**


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